RED HOT RANCH

by Swale, Lizzie

  When Wendy started to nod off on the couch Lillian walked her down to bed. Even though Wendy was nearly eleven she still tucked her in and read her a chapter of a book. Tonight it was Harry Potter. Wendy had seen all the movies already but they were still enjoying the books.

  When they were done she shut off the light and went back upstairs to find Courtney and James had left. “They didn’t have to leave,” Lillian said. “I like your parents; they could have stayed and visited.”

  “I know that, but I think my mom suspects something so she herded my dad out at the commercial break. She kept saying things about not wanting to intrude and that we should enjoy our long weekend.”

  “And your dad?”

  “He was too busy grumbling about giving up the big screen to care about my mom’s hinting.”

  “At least your mom isn’t likely to tell anyone about us.”

  “Lillian, it’s been weeks already. Why don’t you want to tell Wendy?”

  “Because when we moved in here she said straight out that she didn’t want a new dad. She’s accepted you as a friend, I don’t want to betray her, or ruin her friendship with you.”

  “I’ll respect your wishes on this because she’s you’re daughter, but I want you, Lillian, not just in my bed, either.”

  “That sounds kinky,” she said, smiling mischievously. “I’ve never had kitchen counter sex before.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s not what I meant.”

  She sighed and fiddled with his shirt. “I know, Gavin. Just give me some time, please?”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll give it time.” He wrapped his arms around her.

  Sometimes it was nice just to be held but tonight she wanted more. “You know, if we’ve got the house to ourselves we could turn in early.”

  “Are you asking me for sex?”

  “Does that bother you?” She peered up at him. “I didn’t think you were the type that liked quiet domesticated women.”

  He kissed her passionately. “I don’t. I think you should ask more often. I like it.”

  “Then lead on!” She pushed him towards his room.

  “What, no kitchen counter sex?” he said over his shoulder.

  “No thanks, but on the floor on a thick blanket in front of the fire place might be fun.”

  He turned and studied her for a moment and then said, “Not tonight, that sounds like too much work.”

  She kissed him, “Then shut up and take me to your room.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  It didn’t happen often that Lillian took charge of their time together. Most evenings she was content to let him set the pace and the mood. Sometimes, however, she would demand sex as soon as Wendy was in bed and she would be very vocal about what she wanted, and what she was willing to do, which was always more on these nights.

  Though he led the way up the stairs she had her shirt off before they even got that far. She pushed him to the bed and dropped to her knees between his legs. He purred in anticipation as she unbuttoned his jeans. She looked up at him from under thick, dark eye lashes and smiled a seductive smile all the while moving so slowly he wanted to take over, but he knew better than that.

  He wanted her to go fast, sure, but he loved when she went slowly and teased him. He loved being hers to toy with. He loved these times because they showed just how comfortable she was in their relationship – she could take something for herself, she could offer him this pleasure without him ever asking or pressuring.

  She pulled his cock through the opening in the front of his boxers and took it in her mouth even though it wasn’t completely hard. It felt so good, getting hard in her mouth, and he sat back and just watched her play with him.

  She sucked on him as he got harder and harder until he overfilled her mouth. She pulled back but only for a second. She licked her lips and took two full inches of his cock into her mouth. She sucked hard and then began working up and down with her mouth. She was moaning like crazy sending intense vibration through his cock because she knew he liked that. As his pleasure levels steadily rose he started lifting his hips in rhythm with her movements. She started a slow slide down the length of his cock, taking him deeper and deeper. She held him there for a long moment and then pulled slowly back. She started massaging the underside of his shaft with her tongue and he groaned, his fingers tangling in her hair.

  He was beginning to wonder if this blow job was going to be the main event of the night instead of just foreplay but then she pulled back, letting his cock slide from her mouth. She stood up and kissed him hard.

  “Get undressed,” she said. “I want you naked, now.”

  He was more than happy to obey but was disappointed when her clothes didn’t come off too. Before he sat back down on the bed she pulled him across the room and pushed him into the chair in the corner.

  “Sit. Don’t move. And if you touch yourself I’ll stop.”

  “Stop what?”

  In response she slowly started to remove her clothes. She wasn’t dressed for sex, she was dressed for Thanksgiving company, but as she inched the hem of her sweater higher and higher his mouth went dry. She swayed her hips slow and sensual and she turned her back on him as she finished pulling the sweater over her head.

  A moment later she pulled her pants down over her ass and then pushed them down, bending at the waist and giving him a clear and beautiful view of her ass. She stepped out of her pants and turned around again. In the low light she looked like an exotic creature straight out of some ancient legend. She was more tanned now but in the low light she still looked pale and the dark hair looked black.

  His cock was beginning to ache and he wanted so badly to grab it and relieve some of the tension but if she wasn’t bluffing then that would stop her in her tracks and it might be the end of sex for the evening. He waited and watched as she shrugged off the straps of her bra and then pressed her breasts together, showing off her cleavage. She pulled the waistband of her panties down low, showing off her hips. Finally she removed her bra and panties and did a sexy little strut towards him.

  She straddled him on the chair, taking him inside her. She braced her hands on his chest and he gripped her hips as she rode him. She ground against him as the pleasure built in her. He grabbed her breasts, caressing them with gentle firmness and he pulled her close, burying his face between her breasts. She was gasping for breath as her heart hammered away.

  She grabbed his wrist and moved his hand between her legs. “Touch me here,” she said.

  He rubbed her clit as best he could while she moved her body up and down his cock. She gasped and it turned into a loud moan that went on and on, building in volume as he sucked her breast, his fingers still working tight circles over her clit. The moan turned to a panting and then she was screaming as an orgasm washed over her.

  That was all he could take. A few hard thrusts and he was over the edge too. He caught her as she almost tumbled onto the floor. On shaky legs they managed to cross the room and topple into bed, breathing hard.

  Lillian was up early with Gavin the next morning. He kissed her and went to shower before going outside to start the chores. She pulled on her clothes and crept downstairs to shower before Wendy woke up.

  She moved silently, even missing the squeaky step, and froze at the bottom. What was that? She can’t be awake, it’s too early. The sound didn’t come again so she darted into the bathroom.

  By the time Wendy made it upstairs Gavin and Lillian were enjoying a stack of French toast. “Oh good, you’re up. I thought you were going to sleep the whole weekend away,” Lillian said. “Dig in, looks like I’ll need to make some more.”

  “Smells good,” Wendy said, heaping her plate. “Are we going riding today?”

  “I promised. It’s cool out, so wear layers, but we can really run the horses today since they won’t over heat.”

  “That sounds fun!”

  Lillian kissed Wendy on the forehead. “Yes, it does. Eat up, you’ll be busy today.�
�

  Chapter 9

  It snowed the first week of December just enough of a dusting to turn the lawn white and cover the trees in silver frost. Lillian thought it was beautiful but by lunch the first day the driveway was a slushy mess. It took a full week of continually cooling temperatures and drifting snow to make the winter wonderland scene more permanent and festive.

  Winter, it turned out, was a busy time for Lillian. She had exams online that she had to sit through, Gavin was going through socks and mittens at a rate that kept the washing machine and dryer humming steadily most days, and after being outside all morning he wanted a hot lunch instead of cold cuts on rye bread which meant an extra meal’s worth of cooking and dishes.

  On top of all that a letter came home with Wendy saying she’d missed several deadlines since Veterans’ Day. She’s spending too much time with those horses, Lillian thought, setting the letter aside.

  At dinner that night Lillian said, “Wendy, we need to talk about your homework.”

  Wendy poked her ham with her fork and said nothing.

  “I know you love those horses and I don’t want to take them away from you, so we’ll make a deal. Because it gets dark so early you can have half an hour with them after school every day and then inside for supper and homework. On the weekends homework comes first and if you work hard at it you should be able to spend most of your afternoons out in the barn. Okay?”

  “Sure, okay.”

  Lillian was sure it was a fair compromise, but the way Wendy moped she wasn’t sure.

  “It’s almost break,” Gavin said. “We’ll go riding every day for two weeks. Deal?”

  Wendy forced a smile. “It’s a deal. Can I go downstairs? I have math to do.”

  “Aren’t you hungry?”

  She shrugged.

  “Okay, you can go. I’ll come and check on you closer to bed time.” When she was sure Wendy was gone she said, “Did I do the right thing?”

  “I’m just the boyfriend, not her dad,” Gavin said. “But yes, you treated her fairly, and a lot more leniently than my mom would have. Are you coming up tonight?”

  Lillian nodded. “I’m so used to you being there, it’s cold when I sleep alone now.”

  “You could turn up the heat.”

  “I tried that last time; Wendy complained it was too hot.”

  Gavin laughed. “Maybe it’s time to tell her.”

  “No, there’s something bothering her. I don’t want to upset her more until I know what’s going on.”

  “All right.” He laid a hand over hers. “But don’t wait too long. I hope she and I are friends enough that she’ll be okay with this.”

  “Me too.”

  A few weeks later Lillian set a pot of stew on the table and said, “Dig in, I’m going to check on Wendy, she’s not answering me.”

  “Let me know if there’s anything I can help with.”

  Lillian went down and knocked on Wendy’s door. “Hey, sweetie, are you coming up for supper? I made chicken stew and those biscuits you like.”

  “No.”

  “Can you at least come out here a minute? I hate talking through the door.”

  When Wendy opened the door her eyes were red and she was trying not to look her mom in the face.

  “Wendy, what’s wrong? Have you been crying?”

  Wendy shook her head but burst out in tears. Lillian opened her arms and Wendy fell into them.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I hate going to school,” she wailed.

  “Oh, honey, I know it can be hard being in a new place but I thought you were setting in okay. What changed?”

  “I don’t know! No one will talk to me, except to make fun of me. They tell me to go back to the city. They say I shouldn’t be in school because I’ll never be anything, that’ll I’ll be on welfare and on drugs. One of them even told me to kill myself.”

  “I hope you never kill yourself because I would miss you. Wendy, I will drive you to school on Monday and talk to the principal and if this doesn’t get better I’ll pull you out of there.”

  “There isn’t another school.”

  “I’ll teach you here, at home, if I have to. Okay?”

  She nodded but she was still crying. “Do I have to come up for supper?”

  “No. I’ll bring down some sandwiches later.”

  “And some biscuits.”

  “Yes, unless Gavin has eaten them all already.”

  “Do you love him?”

  “Why do you ask that, honey?”

  “The kids at school say Gavin is whore lover and they say really bad things about you.”

  Lillian took a deep breath. “We’ll get that sorted out too, I promise.”

  Saturday morning Lillian logged on to her school account. She wasn’t expecting any updates but there were her final grades. “I passed,” she whispered. “I actually passed. I have a diploma.”

  Out of curiosity she searched for administrative assistant jobs and started reading the listings that came up. She was actually qualified for a few. She heard Gavin in the hallway and shut the computer off.

  I have a job that I like. And I doubt there are administrative assistant jobs here in Wheaton, not one I’d actually be hired for anyways.

  Monday morning Lillian bundled up and drove Wendy to school as promised. They waited through the national anthem and morning announcements and finally Mr. Seymore called them into his office.

  “Good morning Mrs. Jones,” he said.

  “It’s Ms. Jones,” Lillian corrected.

  Mr. Seymour ‘hmphed’. “Ms. Jones, how can I help you this morning?”

  “Were you aware of the bullying my daughter has been subjected to recently?”

  “No, I was not aware. Have you spoken to her teachers about this?”

  “No. I didn’t realize I had to. And Wendy was telling me some of the things that have been said. If the teachers haven’t stopped it yet I don’t think they will.”

  “They may not be aware of it either, Ms. Jones. But since you are here why don’t you tell me what you believe to be going on.”

  Lillian repeated what Wendy had told her but Mr. Seymour didn’t react at all.

  “Is that all?” he said, sounding bored.

  “All? Someone told my daughter to kill herself. That’s pretty severe. And she says they’re saying inappropriate things about me and my employer as well.”

  “Your employer or your lover?”

  “Excuse me? How dare you ask such a thing?”

  “Ms. Jones, this is a Christian town and we have strong Christian values here. Yet you come here, an unmarried woman, you bring your fatherless child with you, and take up residence with an unmarried man, and now you are upset that your immoral behaviour has brought suffering upon your child.”

  “What?”

  “And if the rumours about you and Mr. Asher are true then you are living in sin.”

  “You’re a principal, not a preacher. I didn’t come here for a religious lecture; I came here to make sure this school was a safe place for my daughter to learn.”

  “I don’t believe the students are hurting your daughter in any way.”

  “Then I don’t believe she will be returning here. We’re going on an early Christmas vacation. She won’t be back until the New Year.”

  Holding back tears Lillian took Wendy’s hand and fled.

  Gavin was still out doing chores when they returned. Lillian went straight to the computer and searched administrative assistant jobs again. One that had caught her eye over the weekend was still there.

  Urgent: Administrative assistant required for small graphic design firm. Must have accounting skills. Must be able to being immediately. Reply to this ad by phone please.

  She picked up the phone and dialed.

  Twenty minutes later she was banging on Wendy’s door. “We’re going to the city for the afternoon,” she said. “Come on.”

  She left a note on the table and a roast in the slow cooker
and they were gone again before Gavin was finished with the chores.

  “Why are we going to the city?” Wendy asked.

  “I have a job interview,” Lillian said. “You’re not going back to that school. If I can get this job then we can move back to the city and you can go to school in the city and maybe things will be easier on you.”

  “But you like working for Gavin.”

  “Yes, I do. But you come first and you are not going back to that school.”

  “How did Christmas shopping go?” Gavin said as Lillian and Wendy came in the side door that evening.

  “Good, we just needed a break. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all.” He wanted to kiss her but he wasn’t sure if she’d told Wendy about them sleeping together and he really wanted Wendy to keep liking him.

  “Wendy’s going to stay home for a few days,” she said. “We’re going to do a big cook out.”

  “What’s the occasion?”

  “If we get snowed in this winter we’ll have some easy meals in the freezer and we won’t have to worry too much if I miss a shopping trip. And Wendy and I need a day together.”

  “Sounds fun. Did you eat? There’s some roast left.”

  “I’ll make hot sandwiches tomorrow. We need to get these presents wrapped.”

  Gavin nodded and watched them disappear down the stairs.

  Gavin came inside Thursday afternoon to find the house strangely quiet. Of course the car was missing so he assumed Lillian and Wendy had run into town to do some shopping. They’d spend two days cooking up a storm and making his house smell delicious. It smelled good now and he found chili in the slow cooker. Beside the slow cooker was a note.

  Gavin, I’m sorry but Wendy and I had to leave. I finished my administrative assistant’s diploma and I got a job in the city. Wendy will be starting school there after the holidays. You’ve got enough food in the freezer, all labelled with cooking directions, to hold you over until you find someone to replace me.

  I’m sorry, I should have given you notice but I had to go.

  The car is in town. I drove there and met the moving company. I’m sure one of the men can help you get it back to the ranch. Thank-you for everything.